Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry

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In a secluded village, magic sparkles on the edges of the forest. There, a young girl named Evie possesses unusually strong powers as a healer. A gypsy's charms—no more than trinkets when worn by others—are remarkably potent when Evie ties them around her neck. Her talents, and charms, have not escaped the notice of the shy stonemason's apprentice. But Evie wants more than a quiet village and the boy next-door. When the young king's carriage arrives one day, and his footman has fallen ill, Evie might just get her chance after all . . .

Berry's debut novel garnered glowing reviews and strong sales—and now she's done it again with a beautifully woven tale to keep all readers, young and old, absolutely charmed.

I was in the mood for a fun and easy fantasy novel to read and Secondhand Charm fit the bill perfectly.

The story centers on Evie, a young village girl who dreams of following in the footsteps of her deceased parents and becoming a physician. While this seems like an improbable goal, Evie is suddenly presented with the opportunity to pursue it when the king comes to visit her secluded village and awards her with a scholarship to the University.

Evie excitedly embarks on the journey to the city accompanied by her best friend and the handsome boy next door, and wearing the newly-purchased gypsy charms around her neck. But Evie’s plans go awry when her carriage is attacked and she is forced on an unexpected journey of discovery that will put into question everything she ever knew about herself and her family.

Secondhand Charm is a delightful book that provided me with a very enjoyable evening of reading. It had all of the elements that I look for in a good book; likable characters, interesting plot, magic and a bit of romance, and even though I don’t read a lot of YA books anymore this was exactly what I was in the mood for. Secondhand Charm reminded me a lot of Shannon Hale’s books ( Book of a Thousand Days, Princess Academy) and I’m sure that anyone who enjoys her books will love this one as well.

I have on my shelf another of Julie Berry’s books waiting for me, The Amaranth Enchantment, and considering how much I enjoyed reading Secondhand Charm I think I’ll be jumping into that one next.